Pork Tenderloin is a very lean and tender cut of meat; it's the filet mignon of pork. Fran picked up a 1.5 lb. already seasoned pork tenderloin last week.
There are several ways to make pork tenderloin, and our favorite is using our Ninja Air Fryer.
This method is easy to do, and the pork is so tender and juicy. Our pork tenderloin was already seasoned. You can find these in your grocery store already seasoned with various types of seasoning. If you don't find one already seasoned, here is how we like to season ours.
Seasoning for Pork Tenderloin:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Mix all seasonings together in a small bowl, and rub the olive oil over the pork tenderloin. Rub the mixed seasoning on all sides of the tenderloin.
Set and preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees. Set the timer to 25 minutes. Check the pork tenderloin at 22 minutes with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. You want the internal temperature to be at least 145 degrees.
The tenderloin will be crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Serve with your favorite vegetable or baked potato.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Have you ever taken a chance on a DIY idea only to discover... What took me so long to do it! This simple DIY has changed the scenario 100 percent for an office with hardwood floors.
Hardwood Floors
The great feature of hardwood floors is the ability to have office furniture with wheels. So handy, so useful, so worrisome if the wheels are not high quality and the hardwood floors are in jeopardy. The one sound you do not want to hear is a rolling piece of furniture scraaaatcccching the hardwood floor.
Wheels and More Wheels
What I have added Lifelong wheels to in the office with hardwood floors:
Rolling shelves
Rolling printer stand
Office Chair
Stool
Shredder
Through the years this old office chair became THAT chair. The chair which is so comfy and broken in and you do not want to let it go when age reigns on its' parts. One of the wheels was not working properly and was showing signs of scratching the floor as well as the floor protector. One of the bonus features of replacing the wheels was the ability to leave the plastic floor protector in the trash.
One word of caution! The wheels are fast! Like rollerblade wheels, so the chair which was barely rolling is now a lean mean rolling machine !
The one measurement needed is the stem size. The old wheels pop off and the new are easily put on, but the stem size is necessary for proper fit. Lifelong comes in different color combinations and brakes are an option. For the printer stand on wheels I chose the style with brakes.
Brands
As noted I have replaced a few wheels and have found the brands I used all were more than adequate. The installation took minutes! No tools needed.
My favorite brand was Lifelong and it was slightly more expensive than other brands. the one cavaet is the wheels are advertised to fit 98 percent, but NOT Ikea furniture.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
To Date, Here Are 5 of The Biggest Stars to Come Out of The Voice
You know, I've been a fan of The Voice for years—probably over a decade now. And thanks to the magic of TikTok, I've fallen down more than a few rabbit holes watching short clips from The Voice UK, The Voice Kids, and even auditions from countries I didn't expect—like Germany, Indonesia, and South Africa. There's something about those blind auditions and spinning chairs that just pulls me in every time.
After digging into the history of The Voice, I found a few fun factoids I thought you might like, too. The show actually started way back in 2010 in the Netherlands, created by John de Mol (yep, the same guy who helped create Big Brother).
Since then, it's exploded across the globe with over 60 international versions. You can now catch The Voice in countries like the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, Italy, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sweden, Argentina, and many more.
Now, while The Voice has given the world thousands of notable singers, not all of them have gone on to become household names. Who are some of the biggest stars to come out of The Voice? Who made a significant impact after the show was over?
"After conducting some research (and encountering a few surprises), I've found the following. By the way, this is my personal research; feel free to dispute any of these, or add people you think belong on this list! Leave your opinion in the comments."
🌟 Top 5 Most Successful Contestants from The Voice – Worldwide
These are the ones who not only wowed us on the show but also went on to sell records, earn awards, and build actual careers. Let's break it down:
1. Morgan Wallen
(The Voice USA, Season 6 – 2014, Team Usher initially, then Team Adam)
Okay, so this one shocked even me. Morgan Wallen was actually eliminated early in the playoffs, but he's become the biggest success story ever from The Voice.
Why he's #1:
🎧 Record Sales & Streams:
Over 35 million equivalent album sales (EAS) globally
Dangerous: The Double Album broke all kinds of country music streaming records
One Thing at a Time dominated the charts for weeks
💵 Estimated Earnings:
Net worth estimated between $25–30 million and rising fast
🏆 Awards:
ACM Album of the Year
Billboard Music Awards
CMT Music Awards
Holds records for most weeks on Billboard Country Charts
Bottom line: He didn't win the show, but he definitely won real-life stardom.
2. Melanie Martinez
(The Voice USA, Season 3 – 2012, Top 6 Finalist)
Melanie had a style all her own from the start—quirky, artistic, emotional. And it turns out that unique identity is precisely what carried her beyond the show.
What she's accomplished:
🎧 Album Sales & Streams:
Cry Baby was certified Double Platinum in the U.S.
Albums like K-12 and Portals have cult followings
Billions of streams across platforms
💵 Estimated Earnings:
Net worth somewhere around $10–12 million
🏆 Impact:
While she's not mainstream radio famous, she's a huge streaming success, especially among younger listeners on TikTok and Spotify.
Strong merchandise sales and sold-out tours
Bottom line: She has built a loyal fan base and a full-blown brand on her own terms.
3. Jordan Smith
(The Voice USA, Season 9 – 2015, Winner – Team Adam)
Jordan Smith's voice is the kind that makes you stop what you're doing and just listen. He made history with his chart performance during the show and continued to do so afterward.
Highlights:
🎧 Sales & Chart Success:
Became the highest-selling Voice contestant on iTunes during his season
Albums charted on Billboard's Christian and Adult Contemporary charts
Billboard chart-topper in the Christian music space
Bottom line: Jordan found his lane in Christian and inspirational music, and is thriving.
Here's Jordan Smith's blind audition:
4. Cassadee Pope
(The Voice USA, Season 3 – 2012, Winner – Team Blake)
Cassadee brought her pop-punk background from the band Hey Monday into country music, making it work. She was the first female winner of The Voice USA and used the win to launch a solid country career.
Career Snapshot:
🎧 Sales:
Frame by Frame hit No. 1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart
Single "Wasting All These Tears" sold 125,000 copies in its first week
Duet "Think of You" with Chris Young went Platinum
💵 Estimated Earnings:
Estimated around $4–5 million
🏆 Awards:
Grammy nomination
CMT Music Award
ACM Award nomination
Bottom line: A fan favorite who turned her win into long-term respect in the country scene.
Cassadee Pope performed this song on The Voice, and ever since, it's held a special place in my heart. When my dad passed, I wept listening to it. Those tears were part of my healing. The original is by Miranda Lambert, and it still brings me back to that time.
5. Koryn Hawthorne
(The Voice USA, Season 8 – 2015, 4th Place – Team Pharrell)
She didn't win the show, but she's dominating the gospel and Christian charts today.
Why she made the list:
🎧 Chart Success:
Unstoppable topped Billboard's Top Gospel Albums
Single "Won't He Do It" stayed at No. 1 for 41 weeks (that's almost a whole year!)
💵 Estimated Earnings:
Net worth estimated at around $1–2 million
🏆 Awards & Nominations:
2 Grammy nominations
Billboard and Stellar Gospel Awards
Bottom line: She's a star in her genre, with one of the most consistent post-show careers.
Here's Koryn's blind audition:
🎬 Final Thoughts
So there you have it! While not every Voice contestant goes on to global superstardom, a few have carved out seriously successful careers. And what's fascinating is that most of them didn't even win, which shows that sometimes, winning the show isn't the only path to success.
Whether it's country chart domination, like Morgan Wallen, quirky theatrical pop, like Melanie Martinez, or inspirational gospel, like Koryn Hawthorne, these artists have found their unique lane.
And if you're like me and still find yourself watching audition clips at 1 AM from The Voice UK or The Voice Kids Philippines, it's kind of nice to know that the show really can change lives—and sometimes, lead to something bigger than anyone expected.
Do you have a personal favorite from The Voice over the years?
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
A horseracing mystery by Dick Francis and Felix Francis
After a successful eleven-year career as a jockey in England (during which hebecame one of Britain's leading National Hunt jockeys and a champion steeplechaser, riding as jockey to the Queen Mother. Queen Elizabeth), Dick Francis wrote his first book, an autobiography (The Sports of Queens), which led to a job on a London newspaper as a racing correspondent. In 1982, he published his first mystery book that dealt with crime in the horse-racing world. Through a publishing career of nearly 40 books, Francis’ wife, Mary, was his researcher, proofreader and biggest fan.
Mary died in 2000 and Dick, heartbroken, virtually gave up writing. Six years later, their son Felix talked his dad into writing again and they collaborated on Dead Heat. Herein, is my review of this book.
The main character in Dead Heat is Max Moreton. Max is locally known as a celebrity chef, enjoying success in his horse-racing themed restaurant in Newmarket called The Hay Net. Max also frequently caters special meals at nearby racetracks. His troubles begin when he caters a dinner at Newmarket races where dozens of guests end up with food poisoning. Max cannot figure out what went wrong.
But, that incident was just the beginning of Max’s problems. The very next day, he caters a VIP lunch in one of the special boxes at Newmarket races, and he is nearly killed in an explosion. It suddenly becomes time for Max to start trying to figure out what is going on and why it seems as though someone is trying to kill him.
Summary
The clever plot of Dead Heat has some interesting and some quirky characters (there is the laughing lawyer for one) and a romantic interest between Max and a beautiful viola player from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London who originally starts out to sue him! In addition, the reader gets to enjoy the ambience of the world of haute cuisine.
I enjoyed this first collaboration of Dick Francis with his son Felix. The team went on to publish 3 more books together. Since Dick’s death at age 89 in 2010, Felix Francis has continued on in the same vein, writing horse-racing mysteries.
*Book Review of ‘Dead Heat by Dick & Felix Francis was written by Wednesday Elf
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
If you are looking for a suspenseful movie that will make you laugh, I
highly recommend Heads of State starring Idris Elba, John Cena, Jack Quaid
and a very feisty Priyanka Chopra Jonas. This cast of actors is
absolutely fabulous together!
My husband and I frequently watch movies together, but one of us is usually
watching because the other one wanted to see the show. Of course, that
is fine, but we rarely rave over the same movie. However, we both
loved "Heads of State" and we both hated to see it end.
There were times in the movie where we were struck silent and other
times when we were both laughing out loud. At the end of the movie, we
were in a good mood and wishing for "Heads of State: Part II".
As a result of watching this movie, I also have a new appreciation for the United States President's vehicles: Air Force One airplane and The Beast, the US President's limousine. Their reproductions for the movie are pretty awesome. I hope the real vehicles are just as well-built and powerful as their portrayal.
When Airforce One comes under attack, US President, Will Derringer (John Cena) & UK Prime Minister, Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) are forced to work together to survive.
Sam views Will as a movie star instead of a credible leader. He actually thinks his presidency and his physical ability are ludicrous, both a product of his on-screen image instead of fact. To some degree, he is not wrong. However, Will does have a huge fan base, therefore influence, as well as physical strength.
Will doesn't like Sam because he publicly supported his opponent in the presidential race.
As they seek to find safety on the ground in a foreign country, they learn to rely on each other and find they make a pretty great team. They do get a lot of help from friends! Marty Comer (Jack Quaid), who admires President Will Derringer and Noelle Basset (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) who adores Prime Minister Sam Clarke, are well trained "real action heroes" that arrive at the most opportune times to save the day.
______________
Heads of State is a awesome suspense thriller to begin with, but with the added humor and interactions between characters, it offers real entertainment for everyone.
I have only one personal criticism. They use our Lord's name in vain way to liberally. The irreverence is unnecessary and detracts from this great movie. Hopefully, this flaw will be corrected in Heads of State: Part II.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
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